juiy 2i, 1894; 
THli GARDENING WORLD. 
739 
thus glandulosa, 65 ft., Fagus purpurea, Arbutus 
Unedo, Magnolia conspicua and M. Exoniensis, 
Quercus suber, Q. Exoniensis and other fine trees. 
Bambusa Metake, 20 ft., Arundinaria falcata 15 ft., 
Eulalias,Ilex Shepherdii.Eleagnus japonica variegata, 
Tilia argentea pendula and many others were noted 
in passing. Of Spiraeas many varieties were shown, 
also a fine Gunnera, scabra with a huge cone and 
some rare specimens (in flower), of Lilium giganteum, 
with its cabbage-like foliage. In the Alpine garden 
or " Goyle ” were some good things. Among others^ 
we noted Romneya Coulteri, Geranium aconitifolium, 
Veronica Kilephifolia, Cyananthus lobatus, Draba 
tridentata, Dianthus alpinus, D. glacialis, D. sangui¬ 
neus, D. cinnabarinus Scabiosa Parnassi, Campanula 
specularoides Gnaphalium Leontopodium, (Edel¬ 
weiss), and scores of others, all as happy as could 
be. Apparently, Mr. Nanscawen knows how to treat 
these ticklish customers, and they know when they 
are well off, for they were all doing uncommonly well. 
In the houses were some well-grown Orchids, 
Gloriosas, Bougainvilleas,Crotons, and Palms, while 
outside, on the end wall, Tropaeolum speciosum was 
as gay as it can be seen in the west of Scotland. 
Time being pressing an unwilling departure was 
made from this interesting and hospitable mansion for 
the famous Chudleigh Rocks and Cavern. A short halt 
here,and we were again swinging along forPitt House, 
the seat of the Right Hon. C. Seale-Hayne, M.P. 
The first part of the programme at this place was 
the inspection of Mr. Seale-Hayne’s famous picture 
gallery and art collection. Here were examples of 
Ruysdael, Herring, Cuyp, Snyders, Cattermole, Van 
Laar, Kaufman, Joseph Vernet, W. Etty, Lejeune, 
and other painters of repute, while engravings by 
Hogarth, Turner, Rowbotham, Prout, and others 
were numerous and valuable. Sculpture, cameos, 
miniatures, coins, seals, and other articles of “ virtue 
and bigotry ” were here in galore. After feasting the 
eyes and the mind, all sat down to an excellent 
lunch. Having walked and talked down the last 
one, lunch number two was attacked with true 
Devonian energy. Mr. Hope, in appropriate terms, 
proposed the Right Hon. member’s health, which 
was warmly received. Mr. Seale-Hayne being in 
the House of Commons at present, was not at home, 
but his head-gardener, Mr. Dawe, gave every atten¬ 
tion, and showed great kindness to the visitors, con¬ 
ducting them through the gardens and grounds, 
which were duly inspected. From Pitt House the 
drive was continued to Teignmouth. There, to the 
number of fifty the holiday makers sat down to 
dinner under the presidency of Mr, Bartlett (Joint 
Hon. Sec.). After dinner a little speechifying was 
indulged in, Mr. Mackay replying for the Society. 
The drive home commenced at 8 o'clock, and in due 
course the "ever faithful ’’ city was reached, ending 
a thoroughly enjoyable day. 
ORCHID ROTES AND GLEANINGS. 
By John Fraser, F.L.S., Kew. 
The Orchids described hereunder, received certi¬ 
ficates according to merit at the meeting of the Royal 
Horticultural Society on the loth inst. 
Laelio-Cattleya Timora. Nov. hyb bigen. 
This bigeneric hybrid was obtained from Laelia 
pumila Dayana, crossed with the pollen of Cattleya 
Luddemanniana. The fusiform pseudobulbs at pre¬ 
sent are about 4 in. long. The flowers are much 
larger than those of the seed parent, with warm rosy 
sepals. The oblong-ovate, sessile petals are darker 
in colour and much larger. The lip has a purple 
tube and a rich crimson-purple lamina so sharply un¬ 
dulated as to appear lobed, and there is a white 
blotch on each side of the throat. As a whole, the 
flower is well defined in colour and showy. First- 
Class Certificate. Exhibited by Messrs. J. Veitch& 
Sons, Chelsea. 
Thunia Veitchi superba. Nov. hyb. 
In this case we have a hybrid of which T. Veitchi, 
itself a hybrid, is one of the parents. The leaves are 
lanceolate, bright green and glaucous beneath. The 
sepals and petals are long, pale lilac purple and 
shaded with white. The narrow basal portion of the 
tube of the lip is nearly white, but the inflated por¬ 
tion is purple and yellow externally. The rich purple 
lamina is crisped and toothed at the edges, and 
covered on its lower half with lines of long, buff 
yellow fringes which extend to the base of the wider 
portion of the tube. Award of Merit. Exhibited 
by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons. 
Ornithocephalus grandiflorus. 
The beauty of this species is well known ; though 
the flowers are moderate in size they are very pretty, 
being white with a dark green blotch at the base of 
each segment, and the green disc of the lip very pro¬ 
minent. The long rostellum is very curious and pro¬ 
bably unique as far as cultivated plants are concerned. 
Botanical Certificate. Exhibited by C. J. Lucas, 
Esq., Warnham Court. 
Cattleya Gaskeliana Nellie. Nov. var. 
The sepals and petals of this variety are white, the 
latter being crisped at the edge. The bifid lip is 
white with a rich purple blotch on the centre of the 
lamina ; the blotch in the throat is orange coloured. 
It is a showy variety. Award of Merit. Exhibited 
by W. Thompson, Esq., (gr. Mr. W. W. Stevens), 
Walton Grange, Stone, Staffs. 
Vanda Roeblingiana. Nov. sp. 
The leaves of this species are ligulate, channelled, 
recurved and leathery. The flowers are produced in 
spreading racemes. The sepals are spathulate, 
crimson, and netted with yellow, the lateral ones 
being wider and less netted. The oblanceolate petals 
are similarly coloured. The three-lobed lip is of 
peculiar shape; the deeply bifid lamina has two 
lobes shaped like a cheese-cutter with the points in¬ 
curved, and the edges fringed and yellow, while the 
larger area is brown ; the claw of this lobe is white 
at the base. The side lobes are small, erect, white, 
spotted with purple within and guarding the entrance 
to the short spur there. Botanical Certificate. Ex¬ 
hibited by Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., Clapton. 
The Orchid Growers’ Calendar. 
The Cool House. —Odontoglossum triumphans, 
and O. Hallii, are growing freely from the partly 
made up growths ; and should be afforded some fresh 
material for them to root into. We find this a good 
time for repotting these particular Odontoglossums, 
as after carrying large spikes of flowers it is essential 
that they should be allowed sufficient time to recu¬ 
perate before being disturbed at the root. Some of 
the O. crispum’s too that were in flower early in the 
year had better be attended to now, for if left until 
the bulk is done in September the growths would be 
too far advanced for the work to be carried out with¬ 
out damaging a lot of roots. Should the weather be 
hot and dry the newly potted plants should be 
placed by themselves and rather heavily shaded for 
a week or two. 
Odontoglossum Uro-Skinnerii, now in flower, 
is a most beautiful Orchid, of easy culture and 
free flowering with us. There is not the variety in 
it that there is amongst most Odontoglossums, 
and only one that we know of which bears a distinc¬ 
tive name is the one named Patersoni. This variety 
is a stronger grower, or at least it makes longer leaves, 
and taller bulbs. The spikes too are longer, but of 
course its charm is in the flower, which is very much 
darker than the type and is altogether a desirable 
plant. It grows well in peat with a liberal amount 
of Sphagnum moss, and crocks mixed. The pots 
should be well drained and of rather larger size than 
is recommended for most Odontoglossums. The 
compost must not be packed too firmly about the 
plants as they make rather large and fleshy roots 
which like plenty of room in which to run. A rather 
shady position in the cool house suits their require¬ 
ments well. Water sparingly during the winter 
months as too much water during the dull season 
causes the roots to rot. 
Odontoglossum nebulosum. —This very beauti¬ 
ful species is also making a show now, and like the 
preceding is of easy culture. We find it does best 
when repotted annually, and as the plants push up 
their flower spikes with the young growths, this 
should be done almost immediately after the plants 
go out of bloom, as like O. citrosmum, the roots are 
then most active. 
Sophronitis grandiflora. —This brilliant little 
cool house orchid is now in a fit state for re-panning 
or re-basketing as the case may be, as they are start¬ 
ing strongly into growth ; very little material about 
the roots is required, the smaller the quantity the 
better. We have grown them for a number of years 
very well, suspended close to the glass in the 
Odontoglossom house, but this year we are trying 
some on the stages and at present they certainly look 
the best, but whether they will flower so freely re¬ 
mains to be seen.— C. 
THE wmmiE. mmm. 
Spring Cabbage. 
In some establishments this crop is an all important 
one, and every effort is made to have them as early 
as possible. It is not, however, by sowing too soon 
that this aim is accomplished, for if the seed be 
sown early on poor ground the plants do not grow 
away freely, and are therefore liable to bolt after 
being planted out. The aim of the cultivator should 
be to have a quick growth from the commencement; 
he should therefore begin with the seed bed. A 
piece of rich ground should be selected on which to 
sow the seed ; avoid a south border on which fruit 
trees are growing, as these will draw too much of 
the moisture out of the soil for the well being of the 
plants. That from which the autumn Onions have 
been taken will be found very suitable, and this 
having been dug should be well broken up, giving it 
a slight sprinkling afterwards with nitrate of soda or 
superphosphate of lime. The seed should be sown 
thinly in drills, as by so doing it is more evenly 
covered than when scattered broadcast on the 
surface, and is therefore not so likely to be taken by 
the birds. When a quantity have to be grown it is 
well to make two or three sowings, the first one 
should only be small, for if the autumn be mild, 
followed by a severe winter some of them would 
bolt. 
For the northern part of the kingdom, about the 
20th of this month will be a good time to sow the first 
lot; while in the south, from the 28th to the 30th will 
be soon enough. It is not so much in the sowing of 
the seed as in the growth of the plants, as on some 
soils if there be plenty of moisture more progress 
will be made in a fortnight than there would be on 
others in a month. The kinds most suitable for 
early sowing are Ellam’s and Sutton’s Flower of 
Spring. It is seldom that either of these run to seed, 
even should the winter be severe. When the plants 
arc large enough to handle they should be at once 
transplanted, for to allow them to remain in the 
seed bed longer would be an hindrance to their 
progress. If a piece of ground can be got ready for 
them the first favourable opportunity should be 
taken advantage of to get them put out. but it will 
be better to wait a few days than to plant in hot, dry 
weather, such as we sometimes have in September. 
Before planting, draw out a drill 3 in. deep, then 
along this dib in the plants 15 in. from each other. 
This drill will answer the double purpose of prevent¬ 
ing the water from running away should it be found 
necessary to have to resort to that means of assisting 
progress, and as a shelter against rough winds. 
These early rows should be planted 3 ft. apart if it is 
intended to plant later and larger kinds between 
them, if, however, they are to be grown alone 18 in. 
will be ample distance between the rows, particularly 
for the former kind. 
A second sowing should be made a fortnight after 
the first, and in this sowing some of the larger grow¬ 
ing kinds may be put in, as there would be little fear 
of them going to seed unless the ground on which 
they are planted iS very poor. When planting, see 
that the soil is pressed firmly against the roots, for 
if a cavity be left they cannot take held of the 
earth, and therefore make no progress, being lifted 
out by the first sharp frost. 
In some places the larvae of the crane fly is 
troublesome, therefore, a sharp look out must be 
had for these or they will soon eat off the whole 
crop. It often puzzled me how they got from one 
plant to another, having no feet, till one day I caught 
a lot, and having put them on a hard walk watched 
their progress. In a short time they drew them¬ 
selves up into a sort of a ball and then rolled over 
and over till they got to the edge, when, finding the 
soil was soft, they commenced to burrow, and would, 
no doubt, have soon got out of sight had I not have 
killed them .—Kitchen Gardener. 
_ - 
Coke Dust for Propagating.—A correspondent of 
the American Florist writes :—" Instead of using 
sand, Mr. A. A. Young, the florist of Jewett City. 
Conn., fills his propagating bench with coke dust 
procured from a neighbouring gas factory. He finds 
that cuttings of all soft-stuff root much more readily 
in this material than they do in sand , furthermore 
it is of gritty substance, never turns sour and does 
not soil the fingers so much as one would suppose. 
It is a waste product, the gas house people being 
obliged to him for taking it away. 
